Tag Archives: George Brandis

Unless Malcolm Turnbull is prepared to take the pretender front on, to attempt to blow him away in the manner he is trying to dispose of Shorten, he will continue to cop the wrecking, sniping and undermining that Abbott is … Continue reading →

Apart from his regret at losing the nearest thing to a mate among the premiers, Turnbull must be feeling more than a little conflicted, because the inevitable comparisons that will be made between the two leaders will not be in … Continue reading →

The National Opera Review has reported. Instigator George Brandis is probably well enough satisfied. The Terms of Reference are pure Brandis. The name is National Opera Review, the game is a review of the four larger companies funded by … Continue reading →

Australia is a democratic pluralist society and there lies the rub. Democracies privilege freedom, while pluralism requires civility. In the increasing hyperbole surrounding the question of the impact of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act many are arguing … Continue reading →

Our bumble-footed Attorney-General, George Brandis, has finally got something right. The resignation of the Solicitor-General, Justin Gleeson, was the proper course of action for him to have taken. Indeed, it was inevitable: when the first and second law officers … Continue reading →

Our Attorney General George Brandis states as an unviolable credo that a barrister must give fearless and impartial advice at all times. This is a legal ideal, and perhaps one that he believes in, but the fact is that … Continue reading →

The baying pack of coalition backbenchers demanding the abolition, or at least the dilution, of the Racial Discrimination Act may be sincere crusaders for free speech. On the other hand they may be motivated by a desire to attack … Continue reading →

If Malcolm Turnbull did not know it before, he certainly should now: before you stomp your way into Aboriginal politics, it is wise to first don the emu-feather sandals of a trained Kadaitcha man. The area is fraught with … Continue reading →

In a Senate Estimates hearing this week, the new Arts Minister Mitch Fifield was gently questioned for ten minutes by Senator Scott Ludlam about his intentions with regard to the future of arts support: in particular, did he intend to … Continue reading →

George Brandis’s day job is as Commonwealth Attorney-General. He is also Arts Minister, which on the evidence he treats as a sort of hobby. He has been responsible now for two annual arts budgets. In the 2014 budget, there was … Continue reading →

“Heads must roll;” words from the Prime Minister Tony Abbott. And in case you missed them he said them twice – on national TV. He was talking of the ABC and presumably some executives who failed to detect the “threatening” … Continue reading →

Current Affairs The Australian government and The Australian are at it again, attacking Gillian Triggs. I re-post below an article by Robert Manne from earlier this year. John Menadue Readers of John Menadue’s blog will be aware that a vile … Continue reading →

The recent murders perpetrated in France have been rightly condemned by all people who take seriously morality and human rights. However, the accompanying discussion of the right to freedom of speech has reflected different points of view. For some … Continue reading →

On the Need for a Wider Debate about Charlie Hebdo No one can justify the recent brutal murders of the French journalists and police in Paris. However, the belief that this act constitutes an attack on free speech and … Continue reading →

Is it occupied, disputed, or contested? Some are finding it hard to find the right words to describe the West Bank. In a move widely seen as an effort to demonstrate its pro-Israel bona fides, Australia’s attorney general said on … Continue reading →